If Michael Jackson dies during an acoustic punk concert, does anyone notice?

On Thursday afternoon, I was at Reax Space, a music-themed gallery/boutique in Ybor City run by Reax music magazine, for an acoustic in-store performance by Joey Cape, the singer of seminal California punk band Lagwagon.

Fewer than 20 fans showed up. Cape took a stool and mic in front of the cash register, and Reax editor Scott Harrell took another for a Q&A session with Cape.

Harrell asked if Cape often wrote music on an acoustic guitar. "I've written every song I've ever written on an acoustic guitar," Cape said. Especially demos, he added.

Harrell asked: Ever plan to do anything with those demos? Maybe, Cape said. Not sure if anyone would want to hear them.

They were discussing a split 7" Cape recorded with No Use For a Name's Tony Sly when, at 5:57 p.m., a cell phone rang. It belonged to Frank Mansis, 31, of Tampa, who silenced the phone and hid behind a friend. Everyone did that thing where they laugh and point and hoot at the careless guy who dared interrupt such an intimate performance.

Mansis laughed sheepishly and flipped open his phone to read the text. It read:

michael jackson died

"Michael Jackson died," Mansis said, flipping his phone back shut.

Some nervous tittering at first, then a collective, disbelieving: Wait, what?

A guy standing next to me nodded. "I've gotten three messages," he said.

Everyone, Cape included, turned to the guy behind the register, who was sitting at a computer.